Breckenridge Backstage Theatre’s summer lineup selling out

Last year, the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre earned the Summit Foundation’s Outstanding Nonprofit Professional award, and this summer, it’s living up to its name with stand-out shows that are selling out.

‘Monty Python’s Spamalot’

The Breckenridge Backstage “Monty Python’s Spamalot” has been selling out every single night since it opened June 26. It runs through Aug. 10, Thursdays through Sundays.

“We’ve assembled a stellar cast to put on a top flight production of this incredibly silly and sentimental show,” said artistic director Chris Willard. “People want to laugh and have a great time at the theater. That’s why they are reacting so positively to the show. It’s pure joy from the first note to the last.”

Arthur and his Lady enliven “Spamalot.”

The irreverent story portrays how King Arthur and his knights may have come about. It’s a take on the 1975 comedy film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”

Tickets range from $29-32 for adults and $23 for youth, plus a $2 surcharge.

‘Oz’

“Oz” opened July 11 and runs through Aug. 2 at 11 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, since it’s a kids’ show.

The story is a fictional tale of what inspired L. Frank Baum to write “The Wizard of Oz.”

By age 44, Frank knows how to do a lot but hasn’t accomplished much — until he persuades his housekeeper and a runaway named Dot to improvise his latest story. “Oz” comes alive, transforming a ceiling fan into a cyclone, a footstool into Toto and a bearskin rug into the lovable characters we all know: the Tinman, Scarecrow and Lion.

Tickets are $11 plus a $2 surcharge.

Special events

In addition to its regular shows, the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre presents a few special events this summer.

The Breckenridge Backstage Theatre is located right off Main Street in downtown Breckenridge.

The first is Cabaret, Cabaret!, in which the cast members from “Spamalot” perform a variety of musical numbers as audiences enjoy wine and cocktails. Tickets are $22, which includes one drink, July 30.

Italian masters

On Aug. 4, audiences can “Discover DaVinci and Michelangelo: Side by Side.”

Get ready for an inspiring night, featuring DaVinci’s work.

This is a rare opportunity for Breckenridge locals and beyond to meet the curator of the DaVinci Machines and Michelangelo Exhibitions from the Museum of Leonardo DaVinci in Florence, Italy. Mark Rodgers will illuminate the two geniuses by bringing the Italian Renaissance to life through movies, videos, 3-D animations, and, of course, the artists’ sculptures, sketches and paintings. He’ll also talk about the differences and similarities of the two artists’ lives. It promises to be an inspiration evening.

Tickets are $30-$45 for adults and $15 for youth 18 and younger. A $45 ticket includes a cocktail party with Mark Rodgers before the event, which will be held at the Riverwalk Center.

Esteban

The final treat of the summer brings Esteban to the intimate theater Aug. 23. Esteban mesmerizes audiences with his classically trained guitar skills, with a flamenco flair. Since Esteban’s car accident, it took him 10 years to return to the stage — and it was doubtful if he ever would make a comeback, but he certainly has.

Estaban plays with a flamenco flair

Tickets range from $33-50 for adults and are $18 for youth. The $50 tickets include a meet-and-greet with the great.

Movies

The Breckenridge Backstage Theatre has also been showing movies, and right now, it’s taking an online poll to see what classic movie people want to see on Aug. 20 for $8 ($6 for seniors and students). Voting ends July 23, so vote for your classic movie now.

“I always choose shows with an eye toward what we can accomplish as a company and what our audiences demand from us,” Willard said, about the entire summer lineup.

Labor Day special

Every Labor Day weekend, the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre presents a big show with a huge cast; this year it’s “Shrek, the Musical,” Aug. 28-31 and Sept. 5-6. This year’s cast numbers 45, including locals and professionals from past shows.

Since the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre has been selling out this summer, purchase tickets now for upcoming shows.

About The Author

Kimberly Nicoletti always knew she was meant to escape gray Chicago winters and spend her days skiing the Colorado Rockies. So, two months after she turned 18, she moved to Breckenridge to be a ski bum "for a season," assuring her parent's she'd return to Illinois to finish college.
But, the ski bum life stuck. After three years of full-time skiing in Summit County, she decided to finish her degree at CU-Boulder in Creative Writing (granted, she took a semester off to ski). Once free of classes, she took yet another year off to ski in Summit (do you see a pattern here?). Then, she moved back to Boulder to earn her master's degree in Somatic Psychology/Dance Therapy. Upon graduation, she spent a winter teaching skiing at Mammoth Mountain. (Surely you see the pattern now.)
In 2002, she moved back to Summit full time, to work at the Summit Daily as the arts and entertainment editor. She stayed with the company for 10 years, enjoying Summit's great events and later working as the managing editor of magazines covering the High Country.
She still revolves her life around adventure and creativity, taking time to travel, ski, paddleboard, dance, ice skate, play with her dogs, learn new things and generally enjoy life.
She's highly addicted to powder skiing and keeps her winter mornings commitment-free so she can indulge in "deep play" when Mother Nature cooperates. Off the mountain, she's a freelance writer and editor and teaches fitness and mind/body classes throughout Summit County.